People in the News

A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island confirmed the house had been sold, but said she didn't know the price.

"He doesn't have any details of the sale," Robin Costello said of Patrick Kennedy, "(and) he does not know who the (new) owners are."

Barnstable County property tax records show the house, on Squaw Island near the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, has six bedrooms, sits on 1.18 acres and is assessed at $3.7 million.

At the request of her three children, a court-appointed guardian was named in June to oversee the affairs of the 69-year-old Kennedy, who has battled alcoholism and been through several treatment programs. The children had contested her earlier attempts to sell the house.

Franz, who lives in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, will join marching bands, floats and Santa Claus in the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization's Holiday Parade on Friday. But Franz will then head to his family's new ranch in Idaho.

"Coming from Chicago, I like a white Christmas," said the 61-year-old actor, who played police Detective Andy Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue." "That was one of the things I had a hard time getting used to when I came to California in '78 - Santa Claus in shorts."

Franz also said he would avoid the phrase "Merry Christmas" in favor of a more secular message.

"I have to say that I now say 'happy holidays' to people," Franz told the Santa Barbara News-Press. "That's usually my greeting because there are so many people celebrating their own holidays. It's really just a generic way to say, 'Let's all have a great holiday season.'"

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BERLIN - Charlotte Rampling will head the jury at next year's Berlin International Film Festival, which will run Feb. 9-19.

LAS VEGAS - Muhammad Ali is expected to be at the starting line Sunday when officials begin the New Las Vegas Marathon.

"He wants to be a part of this race," said race chairman Bernie Yuman, a longtime friend and agent for Ali. Yuman said the 63-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion was retooling his schedule to join local dignitaries for starting ceremonies on the Las Vegas Strip.

About 11,000 runners are signed up to start the race beneath neon, fireworks and the sound of Elvis Presley's recording of "Viva Las Vegas," race president Bill Burke said.

It's the first time in 39 races that the route includes the Las Vegas Strip.

Ali, who has Parkinson's disease, recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House and attended the opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky.